Assignment 2: Strategic Direction

Running head: ASSIGNMENT 2: STRATEGIC DIRECTION
Assignment 2: Strategic Direction
[JD.com]
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1ASSIGNMENT 2: STRATEGIC DIRECTION
Executive summary
The main purpose of this project is to provide strategic direction to the recommendation
suggested in the first part of this assignment. The strategic direction is being given with the help
of the “Business Model Canvas”. The business model canvas strategically discusses its nine
distinguished elements in relation to JD.com. It was being found that by following these nine
elements JD.com can automate its e-commerce site. Moreover, an automated e-commerce site is
expected to provide a better payment experience, shopping experience, efficient delivery of
orders and a wide array of the products to the customers.

2ASSIGNMENT 2: STRATEGIC DIRECTION
Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
2. Current Strategies Assessment....................................................................................................3
3. New Strategies using the Business Model Canvas......................................................................4
Applications:................................................................................................................................4
The Business Model Canvas:.......................................................................................................5
4. Recommendation.......................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................12
Appendix........................................................................................................................................15
1. The Business Model Canvas..................................................................................................15

3ASSIGNMENT 2: STRATEGIC DIRECTION
1. Introduction
This report gives a strategic direction to “JD.com” to help identify the strategic direction
and implement the recommendation given in the first assignment. Hence, this is mainly a report
that discusses strategies to be followed to be able to implement the recommendation. While
doing so this report will also try to understand in brief advantages and limitations of using robots
or drones as an alternative to human capital. In the first assignment, the necessity to recruit fresh
people was identified for the case study company “JD.com”. On the other hand, the
recommendation section suggested to go for drones or robots instead of hiring fresh people.
Working with robots or drones was believed to be less costly as compared to working with fresh
people. Hence, “JD.com” was suggested to utilise drones or robots and automate its e-commerce
site to an extent it is possible.
2. Current Strategies Assessment
As being found in the first assignment, JD.com is one of the two largest e-commerce
platforms in China. It is next to Alibaba in terms of usability in every single month. JD.com has
been very innovative with its strategies. Notably, those strategies have so far worked for the
company. The modification of the logistics operation with appropriate selection of technologies
have already made it a company that faces less market competition. Porters’ Five Forces analysis
of the e-commerce sector in China identified JD.com as one of the two safest companies to have
less fear of losing in the hand of new entrants (Corporate.jd.com 2019). Despite so many positive
aspects that are there in favour of JD.com it still lags in terms of e-commerce automation. E-
commerce automation is the future of e-commerce business (Chaffey 2015). However, this is not
yet being adopted by JD.com. This report, which shows a departure from assignment 1 provides
strategic direction to the company to help automate its e-commerce site. The strategic direction